— Ford is recalling 23,000 model year 2012-2013 Focus Electric vehicles and model year 2013 C-Max vehicles equipped with the intelligent access push button start system.
So what's the fuss? You know that little chime you hear when you open the door with the vehicle running? The chime is missing in the recalled cars, and that's a violation of federal safety standards. Ford and the NHTSA also believe that without an audible chime to remind drivers the vehicle is still running, they may accidentally exit the vehicle without taking their "keys", leaving the car susceptible to theft.
Back in March, Ford recalled the C-Max for problems with child locks. In July, the C-Max Hybrid was recalled for problems with interior head protection, and in August, Ford recalled the Focus Electric because of wiring problems in the headlights.
This latest recall about the silent chime should start near the end of October, 2013. Ford dealers will update the door chime software.
Chimeless owners contact the Ford at 866-436-7332 and refer to recall number 13C07.
